Air supply and conditioning system for a turbine system and method of supplying air

ABSTRACT

An air supply and conditioning system for a turbine system includes an atomizing air system comprising at least one conditioning component configured to receive a compressor discharge air supply at an inlet at a first temperature and a first pressure, wherein the at least one conditioning component conditions the compressor discharge air supply to a second temperature and a second pressure at an outlet. Also included is an air processing unit configured to receive the compressor discharge air supply from the outlet of the atomizing air system, wherein the air processing unit further conditions the compressor discharge air supply to a third temperature and a third pressure. Further included is a filter housing having at least one filter for filtering a main inlet airstream, wherein the compressor discharge air supply is provided from the air processing unit to the at least one filter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to turbine systems, and more particularly to an air supply and conditioning system for turbine systems, as well as a method of supplying air within such turbine systems.

Turbine systems often include an air processing unit (APU) that provides an air supply for pulsing self-cleaning filters within a filter housing and also that provides an air supply to one or more valves as instrument air. The air supplied to the APU typically is extracted directly from a compressor discharge casing, where the air is relatively hot and requires substantial cooling and lowering of pressure prior to injection into the filter housing. Various devices within the APU are present to perform such cooling and pressure lowering of the air supply, with one such device including a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is rather costly from both a part and installation cost perspective, as well as a drain on an auxiliary power system for operation of the heat exchanger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, an air supply and conditioning system for a turbine system includes an atomizing air system comprising at least one conditioning component configured to receive a compressor discharge air supply at an inlet at a first temperature and a first pressure, wherein at least one conditioning component conditions the compressor discharge air supply to a second temperature and a second pressure at an outlet. Also included is an air processing unit configured to receive the compressor discharge air supply from the outlet of the atomizing air system, wherein the air processing unit further conditions the compressor discharge air supply to a third temperature and a third pressure. Further included is a filter housing having at least one filter for filtering a main inlet airstream, wherein the compressor discharge air supply is provided from the air processing unit to at least one filter.

According to another aspect of the invention, an air supply and conditioning system for an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant includes at least one cooling component configured to receive an air supply from a gas turbine component at a first temperature and a first pressure. Also included is an air supply junction for diverting the air supply at a second temperature and a second pressure to a first path leading to an air separation unit and a second path. Further included is a filter housing having at least one filter for filtering a main inlet airstream, wherein the air supply is provided along the second path to the at least one filter.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of supplying air to a filter housing of a turbine system is provided. The method includes providing an air supply at a first temperature and a first pressure from a gas turbine component to an atomizing air system. Also included is cooling and lowering the pressure of the air supply during passage of the air supply through at least one air conditioning component of the atomizing air system. Further included is directing the air supply from an outlet of the atomizing air system to an air processing unit. Yet further included is cooling and lowering the pressure of the air supply during passage of the air supply through at least one cooling component of the air processing unit. Also included is supplying the air supply to at least one filter disposed within the filter housing.

These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an air supply and conditioning system for a turbine system according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the air supply and conditioning system for a turbine system according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the air supply and conditioning system according to a third embodiment; and

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of supplying air to a filter housing of a turbine system.

The detailed description explains embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a turbine system is schematically illustrated with reference numeral 10. The turbine system 10 includes a compressor 12, a combustor 14, a turbine 16, a shaft 18 and a fuel nozzle 20. The compressor 12 and the turbine 16 are coupled by the shaft 18. The shaft 18 may be a single shaft or a plurality of shaft segments coupled together to form the shaft 18. Additionally, an inlet filter assembly 22 ingests an airstream 24 that is filtered and routed to the compressor 12. The combustor 14 uses a combustible liquid and/or gas fuel, such as natural gas or a hydrogen rich synthetic gas, to run the gas turbine system 10.

The inlet filter assembly 22 includes an entry portion 30 for the airstream 24, where the entry portion 30 typically comprises one or more weather hoods or louvers. The entry portion 30 provides a path for the airstream 24 to enter an inlet filter compartment 32 from ambient surroundings. An inlet duct 34 is configured to contain and route the airstream to an inlet plenum 36. The inlet duct 34 comprises numerous sections that may vary in orientation and geometric configuration. For example, a first duct portion 38 is shown as having a relatively horizontal orientation prior to redirection through an elbow 40 to a second duct portion 42 having a relatively vertical orientation. Various other components may be disposed within either the first duct portion 38 or the second duct portion 42. Such components may include a silencer 44 and/or an inlet bleed heat arrangement 46. The inlet plenum 36 is configured to provide a relatively turbulent-free region for immediate entry of the airstream 24 to the compressor 12. The airstream 24 is subjected to yet another redirection during entry to the compressor 12 through the inlet plenum 36.

The inlet filter compartment 32 includes at least one, but typically a plurality of filters that are self-cleaning. The self-cleaning of the filters is facilitated by injection of an air supply 50 along a line 60. The air supply 50 may also be distributed along a line 62 to one or more valves 80 as instrument air. The air supply 50 is conditioned prior to injection into the inlet filter compartment 32, with the air supply 50 originating as a compressor air supply 52. The compressor air supply 52 comprises at least one of discharge air from the compressor 12 and/or air extracted from an intermediate portion of the compressor 12.

Still referring to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of an air supply and conditioning system 100 is illustrated. The compressor air supply 52 is routed through interconnecting piping and passes to an inlet 102 of an atomizing air system 104 that includes at least one, but typically a plurality of conditioning components that interact with the compressor air supply 52 to alter fluid properties of the compressor air supply 52. Specifically, the temperature and the pressure of the compressor air supply 52 are lowered during passage through the atomizing air system 104. The compressor air supply 52 enters the inlet 102 of the atomizing air system 104 at a first temperature and a first pressure. The first temperature is about 800° F. (427° C.) and the first pressure is about 250 psia. Proximate the inlet 102 is a first heat exchanger 106, such as an atomizing air cooler, which cools the compressor air supply 52 to a second temperature of about 225° F. (107° C.), with the pressure maintaining at approximately 250 psia. Prior to passage of the compressor air supply 52 to an outlet 108 of the atomizing air system 104, the compressor air supply 52 may pass through a moisture separator 110 to separate out any entrained moisture droplets in the compressor air supply 52. Additionally, upstream of the outlet 108 may be disposed an air filter 112. A junction 114 splits the flow of the compressor air supply 52 between the outlet 108 and an atomizing air compressor 116, which may supply one or more fuel nozzles 118 for supplying fuel to the combustor 14.

Once the compressor air supply 52 is routed through the outlet 108 of the atomizing air system 104, interconnected piping takes the compressor air supply 52 to an air processing unit (APU) 120 for conditioning therein. Disposed proximate an APU inlet 122 is an air ejector 124 configured to receive the compressor air supply 52. Additionally, the air ejector 124 is in operable communication with the inlet filter assembly 22 and imposes a suction force on air within the inlet filter assembly 22 for drawing a relatively low pressure airstream 126 (i.e., at or near atmospheric pressure) from the inlet filter assembly 22. The suction force imposed to draw the relatively low pressure airstream 126 from the inlet filter assembly 22 is generated by the geometric effect of the air ejector 124 on the compressor air supply 52, which has a relatively high pressure (i.e., motive fluid). Mixing of the compressor air supply 52 and the relatively low pressure airstream 126 results in the air supply 50 that is cooler than the second temperature of the compressor air supply 52. Subsequent to passing through the air ejector 124, the air supply 50 is passed through one or more components that may include a water separator 130, a pressure regulating valve 132, and/or a heatless air dryer 134. At this point, the air supply 50 has been cooled to a third temperature and a third pressure, with the third temperature being about 145° F. (63° C.) and the third pressure being about 120 psia. The third temperature and the third pressure of the air supply 50 are suitable for passage to the plurality of self-cleaning filters disposed within the inlet filter compartment 32, as illustrated.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a second embodiment of the air supply and conditioning system 200 is illustrated. The second embodiment of the air supply and conditioning system 200 is similar in many respects to the arrangement and functionality of the first embodiment of the air supply and conditioning system 100 described above, such that similar reference numerals will be employed for corresponding components and a duplicative description will be omitted. Rather than employing the air ejector 124 for cooling of the compressor air supply 52 subsequent to expelling of the compressor air supply 52 from the outlet 108 of the atomizing air system 104, a cooling heat exchanger 224 is employed to cool the compressor air supply 52. The cooling heat exchanger 224 is disposed proximate the APU inlet 122 and cools the compressor air supply 52, thereby resulting in the air supply 50 that is subsequently passed through various components of the APU 120 described above. A similar third temperature and pressure are attained prior to injection of the air supply 50 to the self-cleaning filters disposed within the inlet filter compartment 32. Use of the cooling heat exchanger 224 obviates the need for suction of the relatively low pressure airstream 126 of the first embodiment.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a third embodiment of the air supply and conditioning system 300 is illustrated. The third embodiment of the air supply and conditioning system 300 is similar in many respects to the arrangement and functionality of the previously described embodiments, such that similar reference numerals will be employed for corresponding components and a duplicative description will be omitted, as was the case with description of the second embodiment. The third embodiment of the air supply and conditioning system 300 is to be employed with integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) systems and removes the need for use of the APU 120. An air supply 302 is extracted from a portion of the turbine system 10 containing air having a relatively high temperature and pressure. The air supply 302 may be extracted from the compressor 12 at a first temperature of about 800° F. (427° C.) and a first pressure of about 250 psia. The air supply 302 is cooled by passage through at least one, but typically a plurality of cooling components 304. The plurality of cooling components 304 may include components such as a diluent nitrogen extraction air heat exchanger, a fuel gas saturator make-up heater and a trim cooler, for example. A tap off line comprising a junction 306 takes the air supply 302 along a first path 308 and a second path 310. The first path 308 leads to an air separation unit (ASU), while the second path 310 leads to the self-cleaning filters disposed within the inlet filter compartment 32. The air supply 302 has a second temperature and a second pressure at the junction 306, with the second temperature being about 110° F. (43° C.) and the second pressure being about 220 psia. Routing of the air supply 302 to the inlet filter compartment 32 through a pressure regulating valve 312 further lowers the pressure to about 120 psia, thereby producing a temperature and pressure suitable for injection into the inlet filter compartment 32.

It is to be appreciated that all previously referenced temperatures and pressures are merely illustrative and are not intended to be limiting, as various turbine system platforms may benefit from employment of the above-described embodiments. Varying turbine system platforms will operate at distinct temperatures and pressures as the exemplary embodiments described herein, however, it is to be understood that the principles of the embodiments apply to numerous turbine system platforms.

As illustrated in the flow diagram of FIG. 4, and with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a method of supplying air to a filter housing 400 of a turbine system 10 is also provided. The turbine system 10 has been previously described and specific structural components need not be described in further detail. The method of supplying air to a filter housing 400 includes providing an air supply at a first temperature and a first pressure from a gas turbine component to an atomizing air system 402. The air supply may be extracted from a compressor, for example. The air supply is cooled and the pressure is lowered 404 during passage through at least one air conditioning component of the atomizing air system. The at least one air conditioning component of the atomizing air system may include various components, such as an atomizing air cooler, a moisture separator and/or a filter. The air supply is directed 406 from an outlet of the atomizing air system to an air processing unit (APU) for conditioning therein. The air supply is further cooled and the pressure is lowered 408 during passage through at least one cooling component of the APU. The at least one cooling component may include an air ejector, a cooling heat exchanger, a water separator, a pressure regulating valve and/or a heatless air dryer. The air supply is then supplied 410 to at least one filter disposed within the inlet filter compartment 32.

While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims. 

1. An air supply and conditioning system for a turbine system comprising: an atomizing air system comprising at least one conditioning component configured to receive a compressor air supply at an inlet at a first temperature and a first pressure, wherein the at least one conditioning component conditions the compressor air supply to a second temperature and a second pressure at an outlet; an air processing unit configured to receive the compressor air supply from the outlet of the atomizing air system, wherein the air processing unit further conditions the compressor air supply to a third temperature and a third pressure; and a filter housing having at least one filter for filtering a main inlet airstream, wherein the compressor air supply is provided from the air processing unit to the at least one filter.
 2. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 1, further comprising an air ejector disposed proximate an inlet of the air processing unit.
 3. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the air ejector is configured to receive the compressor air supply and a low pressure airstream from the filter housing.
 4. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger disposed proximate an inlet of the air processing unit for cooling the compressor air supply.
 5. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the at least one conditioning component comprises at least one of an atomizing air cooler, a moisture separator and a filter.
 6. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the air processing unit comprises at least one of a water separator and an air drying component.
 7. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is about 800° F. (427° C.) and the first pressure is about 250 psia.
 8. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the second temperature is about 225° F. (107° C.) and the second pressure is about 250 psia.
 9. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the third temperature is about 145° F. (63° C.) and the third pressure is about 120 psia.
 10. An air supply and conditioning system for an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant comprising: at least one cooling component configured to receive an air supply from a gas turbine component at a first temperature and a first pressure; an air supply junction for diverting the air supply at a second temperature and a second pressure to a first path leading to an air separation unit and a second path; and a filter housing having at least one filter for filtering a main inlet airstream, wherein the air supply is provided along the second path to the at least one filter.
 11. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 10, wherein the at least one cooling component comprises at least one of a heat exchanger and a trip cooler.
 12. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 10, wherein the first temperature is about 800° F. (427° C.).
 13. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 10, wherein the first pressure is about 250 psia.
 14. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 10, wherein the second temperature is about 110° F. (43° C.).
 15. The air supply and conditioning system of claim 10, wherein the second pressure is about 120 psia.
 16. A method of supplying air to a filter housing of a turbine system comprising: providing an air supply at a first temperature and a first pressure from a gas turbine component to an atomizing air system; cooling and lowering the pressure of the air supply during passage of the air supply through at least one air conditioning component of the atomizing air system; directing the air supply from an outlet of the atomizing air system to an air processing unit; cooling and lowering the pressure of the air supply during passage of the air supply through at least one cooling component of the air processing unit; and supplying the air supply to at least one filter disposed within the filter housing.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising directing a low pressure airstream from the filter housing to an inlet of the air processing unit.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: injecting the air supply into an air ejector as a motive fluid; and injecting the low pressure airstream into the air ejector as a suction fluid.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the air supply is at a second temperature upon supplying to the at least one filter.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first temperature is about 800° F. (427° C.) and the second temperature is about 110° F. (43° C.). 